Ep 120: Relearning to Walk: One Family's Journey Through Functional Neurological Disorder

What happens when a child suddenly loses the ability to walk – and the answers aren't structural, surgical, or pharmaceutical? In this episode, Garrett sits down with George James and Katie, the mother of 9-year-old Jodie, to share an extraordinary and deeply human story of Functional Neurological Disorder (FND), resilience, and recovery. In this conversation, we explore:

• Jodie's sudden onset of FND after fainting during a field hockey game, and the loss of walking, speech, and confidence
• The emotional and logistical journey of navigating a misunderstood condition
• George's decision to travel from the UK to Kenya for a 5-day intensive
• The clinical framework for approaching FND, including an emphasis on sensory input, play, and nervous system retraining
• Broader takeaways from this story and what it teaches us about neuroplasticity, graded exposure, "deconstructing" movement patterns like gait, and more

This story is an inspiring example of patience, trust, and the remarkable adaptability of the human nervous system, with some extremely valuable clinical insights mixed in.